MRI: Acquisition of a Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorter for Multidisciplinary Research and Teaching at Central Michigan University

中央密歇根大学被授予购买荧光激活细胞分类器(FACS)的奖项。FACS仪器测量单个细胞在流体流中流动时的多个物理特性，一次一个细胞通过测量点。每秒数以千计的细胞通过一个或多个激光光束，并检测从细胞发射或散射的光。该系统将检测到的光信号转换成由计算机软件程序处理的电子信号。可以测量的细胞属性包括数量、大小、形状和荧光强度。流式细胞仪还可以根据这些特性将细胞分类到不同的群体中。收购FACS将大大提高CMU教员进行前沿研究的能力。FACS将由至少21名来自生物、化学、心理学和医学院的教职员工使用。学院用户将在许多不同的研究项目中使用FACS，从评估五大湖的微生物多样性到生产用于移植到动物大脑的干细胞。收购FACS还将通过提供最先进的设备来指导下一代科学家的培训。据估计，每年将有35名学生通过教员指导的研究项目接受使用FACS的培训。此外，一些教员用户还担任本科生的研究导师，这些本科生参加的项目旨在增加学生在生物研究领域寻求职业的多样性。更多的学生将通过课程学习接触到FACS。PI和共同PIS将开发一个关于FACS技术的短期课程，供有兴趣利用该仪器进行研究的教职员工和学生使用。此外，目前有几门500级的生物学和神经科学课程，为本科生和研究生提供服务，其中将包括使用流式细胞仪和细胞分类的实验室练习。FACS将通过评估和保护五大湖环境健康的研究项目，促进我们对基本细胞过程的了解，并了解大脑功能，从而潜在地造福社会。

An award is made to Central Michigan University to purchase a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). A FACS instrument measures multiple physical characteristics of single cells as they flow in a fluid stream one cell at a time past a point of measurement. Thousands of cells per second are passed through one or more laser beams and the light that is emitted or scattered from the cell is detected. The system converts the detected light signals into electronic signals that are processed by a computer software program. Cell properties that can be measured include number, size, shape, and fluorescence intensity. A FACS can also sort cells into different populations based on these properties. The acquisition of a FACS will make a substantial improvement in the ability of faculty at CMU to conduct leading-edge research. The FACS will be used by at least 21 faculty from the Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology Departments and the College of Medicine. The faculty users will use the FACS in many diverse research projects ranging from assessing the microbial diversity of the Great Lakes to producing stem cells for transplantation into brains of animals. The acquisition of the FACS will also direct the training of the next generation of scientists by providing access to state-of-the-art equipment. It is estimated that 35 students/year will be trained to use the FACS through faculty-directed research projects. In addition, several of the faculty users serve as research mentors for undergraduate students participating in programs that are designed to increase the diversity of students pursuing careers in biological research. Many more students will be exposed to the FACS through coursework. The PI and co-PIs will develop a short course on FACS technologies available to faculty and students interested in utilizing the instrument for research. In addition, there are several current 500-level Biology and Neuroscience courses servicing both undergraduates and graduate students in which laboratory exercises using flow cytometry and cell sorting will be incorporated. The FACS will potentially benefit society through research projects that assess and protect the environmental health of the Great Lakes, further our knowledge of basic cellular processes, and understand brain function.